when i get mine i plan on taking it up into the N. GA mountains

 

get it up on two wheels before you drive off the dealers lot, preferably just seconds after the final handshake.

Find the nearest circular freeway onramp/offramp combo and drive it like an oval track. This is a good way to break the car in. If you planned ahead, you brought a bicycle helmet with you. Definitely wear it. Safety first.

Kidnap the groundhog and drive off the cliff at the end of a high speed chase with news crews on the scene. :impatient

 

Make sure you remember to take out the magnets from the passenger door. I forgot to do that and five miles down the freeway from the dealership, I had a car from the next lane get pulled toward my car. Luckily, he swerved hard enough after I honked and hit my brakes to get back into his lane before he hit me.

Other than there is no Highway 1 in Oregon and Washington and 1 ends before you leave California. But the thought is nice and you can easily get between the two cities and it's a great drive.

 

Magnets?

 

That's what pulled the other car my way.

 

break it in gently for 1200 miles.

 

And I thought you were supposed to take lots of pics and post them here before doing ANYTHING!

 

after making this mistake the first time I wouldn't leave the dealership without getting a clear-bra.

the front of the MINI is so flat it takes on rocks like a shoe box going down the road.

Get one.

 

Bed in the brake pads.

 

Drive it for 10 miles to make sure the brakes work and the wheel lugs are tight, and then ignore the silly break-in period and drive it like you stole it.

 

Spend the first day breaking it in. Complete break-in on the second day.

 

I like this one. Who knows maybe I really did steal it.

 

Open the hood and clean all that cosmoline crap out with a toothpick and before it leaks on your wheel arches and paint.

Then start wishing it was through break-in.

 

Shouldn't one insist that the dealer do this?

 

Right you are. My car was seemingly prepped properly, since it hasn't oozed any of that. Unless it's waiting for the end of summer before leaking.

 

I think we may have travel spacers on our new Cooper S that we took delivery of last month! What do they look like? What color are these spacers?

 

Program your home address in the nav system... Set it to avoid highways and take the longest route possible.

 

Take a deep breath, belt yourself in, fire it up, roll down the windows, open up the sunroof (if you're getting one) and start that breaking in period right away!

The "S" button is a way of life!